Wagoner, Porter (12 Aug. 1927–28 Oct. 2007), country music singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality, was born on a farm near Lanton, Missouri, the youngest child of Charles Wagoner and Bertha May Bridges, who were farmers. The family was poor, but their Ozark Mountain farm provided adequate sustenance. Their few luxuries included a wind-up Victrola with a modest record collection and a car battery–powered radio, around which they gathered with neighbors on Saturday nights to hear the ...
